THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8717, 13 February 1894, Page 6

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Iv the North Cauterbury district the weather on Saturday aud Sunday was most trying to farmers aud unpleasant lor everybody. Raiu . fell. almost continuously,accompauied by a very high temperature, without wind, and the hot. steamy atmosphere was not at all conducive to the-well-being-'- of the 'props. a_ ( hot nor'-wester was afid under the circumstances was moat welcome, drying j the sodden ground aud crops finely. Farmers I were hard at work all day, and inteuded to ' keep on an long as their horses and machines would hold out. Much of the oat stacking has been done, and farmers are turning attention tc the wheat aud bean crop.. There has lately been a noticeable improvement iv red clover crops. - Heavy rain fell at Ashburton on Suuday morning, ami the remainder of the day was very warm and muggy. A friendly nor'-west wind sprang up.eariy yesterday morning, and as it continued to blow pretty stiffly all day all danger of the grain in stock sprouting wa3 once again averted, just when in altera began to assume a serious aspect. Stacking and threshing were carried on with all possible speed until after sundown. The oats generally are turniug out remarkably well. Messrs Chalmers Bros., who have a rich block of laud close to tie town, have so far put up the record with one little piece of three acres which yielded an average of 106 bushels to the acre, while the whole of their oat crop has threshed out over 70 bushels to the acre. Mr A. Leathaui has also a 70bushel crop, while Mr M. Muhoney baa threshed' out an average of over 60 bushels per acre. Most of the wheat yields will, however, be below the averageof many former years* the grub and blight haviug played sad havoc on some of the lands. ? The harvest weather this season, writes our Dunsandel co l respondent, la a -^ ew fi ,ie days and then rain. It has been a very trying time for the farmera to get in their gram. Raiu fell off aud on from Friday, till Monday, when a welcome drying wind came from the north-west. The most of the grain is stacked in this part with the exception of a few who have larger quantities to deal with. The grain is not in such bad order as was anticipated. The northwest wind about a week ago did a great 'amount of good puttiug the grain in condition . for stacking. Tnreshiug is getting along slowly owing to the broken weather, while farmers appear not to be in a hurry, owing to ■ the discouraging prices. . One patch of- Tuscan wheat that has been threshed yielded about 40 bushels, but the principal average will be fiom 17 to 25 bushels. Oats aie yielding well aud are a good sample. ' "*' On Saturday night there was another heavy ruin in the Temuka district, and the weather was exceptionally muggy. On Sunday afternoon the weather cleared off a little, but there was a heavy downpour at night, and misty showers fell again throughout Monday. Stacking is stopped again, aud it is probable that a good deal of that partially stacked will have to be put together again. The undergrowth is so heavy that the grain cannot be properly dried, and tanners have given up all h pcs of a decent return, and cannot" barely expect to save what they have in fair order. The lew returns from the threshing mills show that as anticipated an unusual proportion of grain is shrivelled. One farmer whose crop looked exceptionally well, estimates that his yield of good wheat will not be above a third of his anticipations, and probably there are many more in the same boat. There is an unusual demand for good harvest hands, but the men can only work a day or two at a time, and are making but poor wages. - The threshing combination has now. practically collapsed, and . mill owners are engaging men at all rates, those who have decent ground to work are giving a shilling an hour. The back country does not Seem to have suffered in proportion, but great difficulty is experienced iv getting the crops.together, and much.yet leruains to be cu£ , • •;-??v?'Ts-: - .'-' : : '•'- ■''•'""'■". | \(^i"r>-Oxford correspondent writes: —On Monday a good drying-breeze set in with indications of "set fair," which continuedtill late on Friday eight, and then came the dt'eaded chauge of warm -'muggy weather aiid?*intermitte_it; Showers. Every advautage was.taken of the five line days, and stacks were seen popping up iv all directions. The quantity now at the mercy of the elements cannot be very large. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TKLEORAM.) TIMARU, February 12. The farmers had a fine week from Saturday to Saturday. Warm wet weather has returned, a,ud as most of the grain in now in stook it is expected to suffer.